Dermot
Boyle became the first ex-Cranwell Cadet to reach the position of Chief of the
Air Staff.He qualified as a QFI at
the CFS in 1927 achieving a rare 'A1' rating.Whilst serving at the Central Flying School in 1928, he led the school's
display team of two Genet Moths, the other pilot being fellow instructor,
Richard Atcherley.However, he
nearly did not achieve his ultimate greatness. He was carrying out a low slow
roll in one of the School's Tomtits, when the engine cut out.The aircraft crashed and was declared a write-off but Boyle walked away
owing to the strength of it's metal construction.

In 1935 he had the privilege of
taking The Queen Mother (then the Duchess of York) for her first flight.This took place from the grounds of Sir Philip Sassoon's residence in a
Puss Moth.The flight resulted in
an instruction from the Air Council that members of the Royal Family where not
to be flown "in conditions unbecoming of their station".

Appointed to the staff of the
Advanced Air Striking Force in 1939, he was tasked with the organisation of the
final withdrawal of the Force’s remaining units through Brest and together
with his AOC, became one of the last RAF officers to leave France.

Whilst AOC, No 1 Group, he undertook a flight from
London to Valetta in a Canberra, setting a new speed record for the journey.In 1952 he flew one of the four Canberras involved in Operation' Round
Trip'.This consisted of a seven week tour taking in 14 South
American countries covering 24,000 miles.Shortly
after taking up his appointment as CAS, he undertook a tour of RAF bases in the
Middle and Far East by piloting himself in a Canberra covering around 20,000
miles.Following his
retirement from active service he joined ? (Aircraft Company) becoming
Vice-Chairman of the British Aircraft Corporation in 1962 until 1971.He was also Master of the Guild of Airline Pilots and Air Navigators
(1965 - 66), Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the RAF Museum (1965 - 74) and
Deputy Chairman of the RAF Benevolent Fund (1971 - 80)